How to be a vampire
by 555emms
Summary: An account of Adam Jacob's life and his journey to find out exactly How to be a vampire.
1. New Year, new problems

_**In dedication to my aunt.**_

* * *

><p><em>Someone once told me, that the way to stay true was to surround yourself with good people. 89 years ago, I did just that. I found loyal, good people to keep me grounded. They taught me the rights and wrongs, helped me through my rough patches. I'm not saying that they didn't have their problems either. I think it's fair to say that we helped each other. Being Human was a little dramatic at times. Well, that's a bit of an understatement. Being supernatural is dramatic, 247. But these people were the ones who kept me on the wagon, told me the true morals of life, and made a simple statement of 'shit happens'. Indeed it does. I think I can tell that you agree. The reason why I write this today is because I have been reminded of the love I received from them. Reminded of the times we shared. I saw one of my closest friends get everything she ever wanted. I saw her pass over, knowing that she had made her mark on the world, which she never thought she would have the chance to do. My other friend passed over with happiness in his heart, something he didn't have the time in which he was living. He had to be murdered before he found what he was looking for. What I'm trying to say is, whatever life you lead, live it. Use it to the best of your advantage. Maybe there is something you have always wanted to do, but have put it on hold because the people around you have pointed out the negatives. What about the positives? I took chances. I dived straight into the deep end. What did I get? I had gained friends, for ever. Now it's your turn to do the same. This story is my view of the world. I am retelling it to you from the very beginning, hoping you understand that you are lucky to be normal._

_I wish you all the best,_

_Adam Jacobs._

* * *

><p><strong>August 6<strong>**th****, 1980**

The overpowering smell of booze and cigarettes spilled out of the jazz club windows, the distant echoes of laughter and music drifting into the empty street, sending a thrill up Adam's spine. This was the first time he had been out so late, an argument with his parents led to him grabbing his coat and making a break for it. He was never sure of where he was heading, just somewhere. He needed to have some time to think, by himself. He had become the offspring of extremely protective people, which was fair enough. They didn't let him go out with friends after nine at night, or let him cross roads by himself, despite being sixteen years old. Their obsession with his safety became worse since a girl was run over and killed last week, just around the corner from where they lived. She had gone to his school. It was her fault she died, though. She was nattering away to her friend who was distracting her, so she stepped into the road and _bam. _Dead in seconds. Everyone got a whole day off school to 'mourn'. Even the ones who didn't know her, which seemed a bit weird. The accident even made the front page of the town's local newspaper. Adam's mother had made a comment about visiting his uncle Jim at the weekend, and for the first time in his life he answered back. He put his foot down, and said no. Why did he always have to do what his parents said? He didn't even like Uncle Jim. He smelt of fish. But he was turning 17 at the end of the year. What was the point? _always _telling him what to do, every second of the day? Adam was practically an adult now. He had to learn to take care of himself as well, they won't always be around. The musty air filled his nostrils as he turned down a small side street, which was poorly lit. Where was he? His eye's searched the area, to see if any signs could signal the specific place. Nothing. He began to pick up pace, uncomfortable with being alone in a dark street. His mother always said 'bad things happen in the dark. You never know who is in the shadows. I had a friend who got mugged, then stabbed in the leg' Adam had always grown up with a protective shield around him, he hadn't really been exposed to the real world before. Never knowing the dangers. He turned around, to check no one was following him. The coast was clear. He walked on, the street seeming to carry on endlessly. The wind howled in his ears, leaves rustling on the floor beneath him. A cat ran in front of him, the bell on its collar jangling, making him jump slightly. The wind got louder, whistling through the air. Adam clutched at his thick jacket, zipping it up further. He wasn't cold, but it offered him protection in a strange way. Suddenly Adam felt the urge to stop. A lump developed in his throat, he couldn't speak or move. His bottom lip trembled as a dark figure grabbed his neck, ramming him into the brick wall. His head smashed into the hard, bumpy texture, a crack filling the empty street. His mind fuzzed over for a second or two, before he regained full consciousness. Adam took a blow to the chest, it was only a natural reaction to protect himself. His leg whipped into the air, striking the figure, but they didn't seem to be hurt. In fact, they _laughed._ He swallowed nervously, trying to think of something to do, but all his ideas were blank. Another blow, but this time to the stomach. It winded him, making it nearly impossible to breath. He felt his body lifting off the ground, then being pinned to the wall. The moonlight shone down, highlighting a person's face. In fact, Adam wasn't sure if they were human. Their eyes…the eyes were black. Not the iris, the whole eye. Black. The small light traced soft lines of the face; a female. He couldn't help but think that she would be a beautiful person if…she wasn't this _thing_. This thought instantly disappeared as her jaw elongated, plunging into his neck with a hiss. The darkness took hold, as he slipped away, from his last moments of living.

* * *

><p><strong>January 1'st, 2012<strong>

Another year. Adam rolled out of bed, grunting at the light shining through the slits of the blind. He glanced over at the clock before wearily rubbing his eyes and pulling on some clothes that were on the floor. The sound of a boiling kettle could be heard outside the door, which was the only problem with the layout of his flat; the kitchen was always too close to the bedroom. He walked through to find Christa staring intently at the steam rising into the air. He coughed, but she didn't look up.

'If you're seriously going to ignore me because of last night-'

'Don't, Adam' Christa held up her hand, and then busied herself with making a coffee.

'It happened, and you can't pretend like it didn't'

The metal spoon hit the sides of the mug, making clinking noises.

'You're so pathetic'

Christa dropped her spoon on the kitchen worktop angrily.

'I'm pathetic? What's pathetic is that you took an advantage of a fucked up drunk'

Adam scoffed and stared at the wall.

'I didn't take advantage. You said you wanted to'

'I was _drunk _Adam! I was clearly out of my head'

'No, you were moping around because Tom had left'

'whilst being drunk'

'You weren't'

'Yes. I was'

'No'

'Yes'

Christa gulped the coffee down, before pulling a face as it scorched her tongue.

'I wouldn't feel like I had been hit by a car this morning, if I wasn't drunk last night. Plus, I can't remember half the things I did, or said'

Adam hesitated as she picked up the mug, shuffling into the living room and sat on the sofa. He followed her slowly.

'Are you trying to make me feel bad about it?'

'Yes'

'Why?'

'Because I do, and you should to. You cheated on Celia'

Adam shrugged, even though Christa was facing away from him.

'We're on a break'

'Since when?'

'Since I said so'

'Does she know about 'this break' as you call it?'

Christa laughed weakly when Adam didn't reply. He sat down next to her on the sofa, studying her expression.

'I still like you, Christa'

She paused from drinking, and placed it carefully on the small table in front of her.

'We've been through this before'

'It's possible to like two people at once, you know'

'Yes. But when that happens, someone always gets hurt'

'In this situation it would be-'

'Me, Adam. This whole thing, it will blow over. You'll go back to Celia and I'll find someone else. Nothing will be said, okay?'

'whatever'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'It means, whatever'

'If you want to leave it then, fine'

The door swung open, catching them both off guard. Celia bustled in with Tom not far behind.

Adam sprung off the sofa, like sitting with Christa was a crime. He fiddled around with the pockets in his jeans until Celia walked over and hugged him.

'I'm sorry about last night Adam' It was difficult to hear her, because her face was pressed into his shoulder, making all sound muffled. He could feel Christa's eyes burning into the back of his head as he hugged her back, stroking Celia's hair.

'I'm sorry too'

She pulled away from him slowly, her face dark and upset.

'What's wrong?'

'I, um…' - Celia glanced over to Tom nervously - 'It's nothing, don't worry'

Adam laughed softly, taking her hand in his.

'You can tell me'

Celia shook her head and stared at the floor.

'It's awful, really bad'

'I'm sure it's not _that _bad'

Celia hesitated, her eyes darting around the room. She led Adam to the sofa opposite were Christa was sitting, and let her hands rest on his lap.

'Well, after our argument last night, I left in a bit of a hurry. I bumped into Tom, he was sitting on a bench all alone, in the dark'

'Wait, what? Tom, you could have stayed here for the night' Christa spoke up, interfering Celia's 'story mode'.

Tom shrugged at Christa and leant on the arm of the sofa.

'Anyway, me and Tom got talking and…uh, we kissed'

Adam frowned at Celia, before Christa's glare made him realise that it wasn't a big deal. Well, it wasn't a big deal compared to what he did last night. His expression softened and he locked his gaze onto Celia.

'Tell me it was nothing'

She nodded quickly and gave him a hug again.

'I don't even like him in that way, I mean – he's a _werewolf'_

Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw Christa sigh grumpily.

'Adam – thank you' Celia muffled again.

'For what?'

'Forgiving me'

Guilt tore through him like a fire. Celia had the guts to tell him about a mistake she made. What he did though, it was so much worse. He couldn't tell her. It would destroy their trust. He _couldn't _tell her.


	2. The previous night

_**When somebody loved me, everything was beautiful**_

_**Every hour we spent together, lives within my heart**_

_**And when she was sad, I was there to dry her tears**_

_**And when she was happy, so was I**_

_**When she loved me.**_

* * *

><p><strong>The previous night<strong>

Adam watched Christa nervously as she took a long swig of cheap wine that she had purchased the night before. She had already drunk half the bottle, and it was only 6:30. Tom said he had got bored and left, which left her severely depressed and in not in the mood to make chit chat. It was New Year's Eve, the time when everyone is celebrating. Well, nearly everyone. People deliberately went out of their way to make this a special occasion, the next best thing after Christmas. Most holidays repulsed Adam, because they were mostly religious. He could remember vaguely that he used to enjoy them when he was alive, though. Christa gulped down a load more wine. Adam bit his lip, not sure whether he should say something. She was always a depressive drunk. Memories flooded back of when they were together. She had dragged him out of the dingy flat to grab a drink at the pub, but he refused any alcohol. She, however, had a bit too much, and ended up throwing up all over the pavement and sleeping on a bench.

Celia walked over and sat next to him, raising and eyebrow at Christa. Adam shrugged in response and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

'Can I talk to you?'

This frightened Adam slightly. He had only known Celia for a bit, but over this time he had learned that she was a girl of few words. Talking was not her favourite hobby. She had explained that she used to have a bubbly personality before she died. Things change.

'Sure'

Her eyes darted over to Christa, so she pulled him by the hand into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

'So, you wanted to talk to me?'

Celia nodded and bit her nails.

'I've run out of money'

'Right, you want to borrow some?'

'Oh no, no. You don't exactly have a lot yourself'

'meh' Adam grumbled, reminded of the rent he was overdue to pay for December.

'I was going to ask, um…that, maybe, if you have enough space, of course, if I could stay here?'

'You hardly need to ask, C. I'd like to remind you, we're supposed to be, y'know, together' Adam merged his fingers and winked. Celia nodded and sat next to him.

'That's not the thing I wanted to talk about, though'

'Oh' Adam scratched his head and looked around his room. It was definitely an upgrade from where he used to live in wales, by far. He even had blinds for the windows in this place.

'It's about Christa'

'What about her?'

Celia looked incredibly uncomfortable talking about this, so she started to bite her nails again.

'I really like her, we've become good friends and stuff since…well yeh' Her voice trailed off into a whisper as she stared at the door 'you guys, you were together for a while, I just have a feeling that she still likes you, and, uh, well, because _we're _together now, but not, um, you know, living in the same place, but you two are, I just feel, erm, well…awkward'

'and…' Adam prompted her to carry on with some hand gestures.

'I don't want her, sort of, argh, well, living here, with you'

Adam's eyes widened as if he had been slapped. How could she say something like that?

'What? I can't just kick her out on the street, Celia'

'I wasn't asking you to! I was trying to say, that, erm' Celia brushed her fingers through her long hair, a worried expression playing across her features.

'What? _What _were you trying to say?' He folded his arms angrily.

'I don't want her to try and…you know, take you'

'_Take me?'_ Adam let out a mocking laugh.

'It's not so stupid, me thinking that'

Adam stopped and stared at her.

'No, you're right. It isn't stupid, it's fucking ridiculous'

Celia flinched as he spoke, she always hated it when he swore.

'Me and Christa, we're over. I thought I made that clear'

'You did'

'Then why are you making up stories? This thing, what you think is happening with me and her, it's not real. Your letting your imagination get in the way of everything'

'Imagination?' Celia looked at him blankly.

'Yes'

'Are you joking? I don't need an imagination! Ever since I was…changed, all the monsters, everything, all the villains I was told about, the childhood stories, they're all true! I had no idea, _you _had no idea that they were real, and you're sitting here, accusing me of making things up?'

'It's all you ever do! Pretending, seeing things that aren't there! How much more obvious can I make it Celia? Me and Christa, we were, but now we aren't'

'I know'

'No Celia! You don't! You have no, _fucking _idea of what Christa is to me, so don't you dare walk in here and pretend like you know everything, because you DON'T!'

'I do know. But your too childish, to even see it yourself. Grow up, Adam'

He turned to face her, tears stinging in his eyes.

'I can't'

The door slammed behind Celia as she stormed out of the room. A few seconds later he could hear the distance slam of the front door too. What just happened? Adam groaned and laid on the bed, rolling around for no reason. In a way he was hoping the duvet would swallow him up whole, so he wouldn't have to face the world again.

A snort of laughter made him tackle the sheets and sit up straight, face to face with Christa resting on the door frame.

'Is that why little ol' blondie left so soon? She found out you were having a _heated_ affair with your bed?'

Adam wish he could laugh, but tonight was seriously pushing it. Christa rolled her eyes over exaggeratedly and lolloped towards him, flinging herself onto the bed.

'Soooo…'

She poked him lightly in the ribs, which, not surprisingly, made no effect on him.

'Oh come _on' _She raised her eyebrows playfully. She stunk of alcohol.

'How much have you had to drink?'

Christa gasped and stared at him.

'The vampire speaks!'

'Haha, very funny. How much?'

'Oh…' she shrugged and stared at the ceiling, squinting. After a few seconds she sighed. 'But that's not faaaairr! It's New Year's eve and you think I should be doing extreme maths?'

'Do you seriously want to end up like your mum?'

A silence descended on them both. _Dammit. _Why did he have to bring up her mother? It was a touchy subject.

'I'm sorry – I wasn't thinking-' He reached towards her but she pulled back.

'No, it's fine.'

For a moment it seemed like all the alcohol had disappeared from her system. That was, until she started laughing.

'What?'

She looked at him and just laughed even more.

'Christa, _what?'_

'What ever happened to laughing for the _sake of it?'_

'erm…well, it's weird?'

'Oh, you're such a party pooper'

When did this happen? A couple of years back Adam was _the _party. Now it felt like nothing made sense, and he was depressed non-stop.

'God! Celia really has killed you. When did your humour go on holiday?'

'Can I just point out that _technically, _Celia can't kill me, since I'm-'

'already dead'

Christa finished off his sentence.

'Am I getting that predictable?'

'Yup'

Adam had only known Christa for just over a year, and she already knew how to finish his sentences. Either she was a mind reader or he was repeating himself…a lot. In a way he kind of hoped she was a mind reader.

'Y'alright?'

'mm, what?'

'You haven't spoken in agesss…like a couple of minutes'

'Oh , sorry'

'no worries…'

'Christa?'

'mm'

'do you think about me?'

'In what way?'

'any way at all'

'I think about this year'

Adam paused and turned his body around so he was facing her.

'which parts of this year?'

'…all of it'

'when we were together?'

'…yeah'

Adam wished in a way that he could have just sat in silence and thought about her answer. But no, Adam being Adam, he lunged towards her, grabbing at her arms and pulled her closer. Their lips crushed together and she froze in shock. Oh God…what was he doing? He was being an idiot. As always, he thought sticking his tongue down someone's throat was the answer to everything. He was just about to pull away, sit in shame, but he realised that she had relaxed. She was kissing him back.

Let's just say, one thing _always _leads to another.


	3. It was like a dream

_**"Imperfection is**_ _**beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring."**_

* * *

><p>'You look exhausted'<p>

Celia studied Adam's face as he nursed a hot cup of tea.

'yeah…I didn't get much sleep last night'

_True._

'Oh right…what did you do? After I left'

'um…' Adam's mind flashed back to the previous night. He tried not to smile.

'I watched some crap film on telly'

_False._

'Where did Christa sleep then?'

'In my room'

_True._

'Where did you sleep?'

Adam shrugged.

'Dozed off every now and again in the living room'

_False._

'What's with all the questions anyway?'

Celia's gaze drifted away from him.

'Celia?'

She didn't move.

'Are you…_paranoid?'_

'NO!'

She snapped back, folding her arms.

'I was joking…calm down'

Her eyes narrowed.

'Calm down? I just wanted wanted to know. I have every right'

'I don't want to do this again'

Celia sighed and turned back to him.

'Neither do I'

'Great!'

Adam clapped his hands together and smiled mechanically at her. She huffed then headed for the door.

'I'm going out'

'Where?'

'…the shops'

'Oh. Okay. See you in a bit'

'Yeah'

Celia disappeared from the room quietly. Well, that was awkward. Adam had no idea what he could do next, everything seemed to be a bit of a blur. A dream. There was this feeling in the pit of his stomach that Celia would find out someday, about what had happened between him and Christa. But that's the thing that scared him more than anything. He didn't know if he liked Christa in that way. Sure, he still had a thing for her. But he thought that maybe…maybe he liked the risk more. The fact that he was cheating on Celia. The looseness of it all, the freedom. No strings attached. He didn't want to go back to the mess the last time they were together. The breakup was made even worse by the fact that they had to live together.

* * *

><p><strong>The break-up<strong>

The summer was beginning to end. Leaves had started to fall from the trees, drifting through the air and lightly covering the pavements. The evenings had a subtle warmth, but that was starting to fade too. Everything seemed like it was okay for Adam. The past year had been strange. But it was beginning to look better, to resolve. That was until the argument changed everything.

Adam was staring blankly at the TV screen. No matter how hard he tried to concentrate, nothing that was going on sunk in. Something was on his mind, bugging him, but he didn't know what.

Christa stomped over and slumped down on the sofa next to him. Jesus, he really couldn't stand another one of her moods. They come and go practically ten times a day.

'What's wrong _now?'_

He grumbled to her, even though his eyes never left the screen.

'What's that supposed to mean?' She snapped back. Her expression was stone cold, unmoving. Like she was a rock or something.

'It means that you're always miserable! Like you have no feelings!'

'Oh – I'm sorry, would you like to be me and see what it's like?'

'What it's _like?'_

'YES!' she screeched back. An argument was brewing, but Adam wasn't going to back down.

'Would you like to be _me? _Would you like all this fucking responsibility, like I'm a parent or something?'

'Responsibility?' She spat back. 'I'm _not _a child!'

'well you act like one, throwing tantrums day and night' He had reduced his voice to a whisper, almost as a sign of surrender. But Christa was having none of it.

'Why do you feel like a parent? Do you think I need looking after?'

'Yes, actually'

'WHY?'

'Because you're a MURDERER!'

The silence that followed was explosive. Adam's head felt as it was about to implode with regret, anxiety and tension, leading up to what her answer would be. The seconds felt like hours, the clock ticking felt like a bomb. Say something, he begged silently. _Say something. _

'is that what you see me as?' her voice cracked and she murmured it. Adam went by pure instinct to reach out towards her, fully expecting her to stop him.

'answer me' she whispered.

'I..I don't see you like that'

Christa turned her head away from him.

'You think you're so innocent. You don't know how hard it is. You think I don't know what I've done? You think I don't know anything?'

'That's not true'

'Yes, Adam…it is true'

'But-'

'End of discussion'

'What? You can't just cut me off?'

Christa slowly turned to face him again, her eyes blurred with tears.

'I just did'

'but…what? What does this mean?'

'I can't do this anymore'

'Do _what?'_

'Us'

'Christa-'

'Oh come on. You knew this would have to end sometime'

'Why?'

'What did you think would happen? I walk around all wrinkly, holding the hand of a sixteen year old?'

'I can't help being like this'

'I know you can't. And I can't help aging. It's time you found someone else'

Adam looked at the floor. Why was she doing this now? Things were only starting to look up.

'Is this about Celia and Tom?'

'no! Why would it be about them?'

'You think that I should be better off with her, and you'd be better off with him?'

'No.' she said sternly.

'You think that-'

'Shut up, Adam. I don't want to talk to you anymore'

'Where are you going to go?'

'What?'

'You can't just live on the streets now'

Christa paused, pulling a hand through her hair.

'I'll find somewhere for now. I will'

She heaved herself off the sofa before Adam could get another word in.

Just before she opened the door, he sprang to his feet.

'What's the date?'

'12th of September' She replied automatically.

Today was the full moon.

'Christa-'

But she had already gone.

Adam really didn't know how he was able to stand there, not running after her.

The reality of what had just happened didn't sink in until she'd left.

The term 'my life flashed before me eyes' is used pretty often. But sometimes people don't acknowledge the fact that the same sort of idea could be used in different ways. For example, Adam saw the past year seep back into his mind. The memories returned, the ones which he tried to bury. He had been through so much with Christa and he didn't want it to change, not now.

But he couldn't get rid of the nagging question in the back of his head. What if he had never met her? What if, his father had never gotten so weak. What if he had never been helped by George and Nina, so he would have never been to Rathbourne School. What if.

He didn't want to let Christa leave. He was a 47 year old vampire…who had just been through his first relationship.

No one ever wants to let go.

* * *

><p>Adam sometimes thought about that day, like a dream. The time that followed it happening, he was rejecting the memory. He denied it even happened, that it was over. But now…now it seemed different. He had Christa back, but as a friend. He had Celia, too. She was very likeable…but not the same. He liked a challenge with Christa. Celia was easy to be persuaded, and their personalities kind of clashed. But he had made a promise to keep her safe. He had told her father that he would stay with her. It was difficult at first, making Celia to trust him. Almost an absolute stranger, and he had to tell her to come with him and his friends. If he had been asked to do that he would have done a runner, so he was just thankful that she didn't.<p>

It had been quite a long time since he got that letter. Just after Deborah Stammers died…a police officer, or a guy posing as a police officer, questioned him. He walked off but left him a note, telling Adam to run. 'They are coming for you and your friends'. It was like it was burned into his mind. He had said he was Celia's father. He had also told Adam not to say anything, just to leave Wales and get away. Christ, he didn't even know what he was running from.

But he didn't dare ask Celia about her family. All he knew was that she used to be happy before she died. He needed to find out more. Adam had this ache inside of him…an ache, or a thirst to know.

Things had got complicated after that. You could call it a rough patch, but that's a large understatement. Matt got sick of everyone, treating him like he really was a ghost. He said he had felt left out, and left. It shocked Adam and Christa the most, they thought he couldn't be independent. But they couldn't go after him, he could be anywhere. They had to wait for him to come back on his own.

All this remembering…it had wiped out Adam. The crisp air had started to become bitter, and Celia was still at the shops. He was glad though, because it gave him some space to think. He was about to go and sit on his head when he hear someone mumbling behind him. Adam whipped round quickly, preparing to pounce on someone breaking and entering. Only he was too stunned to move.

'Matt?'


	4. Return with fury

**There comes a moment when our lives change forever. The moment we admit our weakness, the moment we rise to a challenge, the moment we accept a sacrifice, or let a loved one go. And sometimes the change in our lives is an answer to our prayers.**

* * *

><p>Adam inhaled sharply, his body paralyzed with shock. Matt stepped towards him with caution.<p>

'Sorry I…popped in'

Adam stared at him. What was he doing here? He started to speak but his voice broke. He cleared his throat, then leaned on the sofa, just in case something totally surprising happened again. He would be prepared.

'It's…Matt I…_we _haven't seen you for 6 months'

Matt sighed heavily, unmoving. It was like all the emotion, the memories of his friends had been erased from his mind, as his face was blank and drawn. He looked sad.

'Where have you been?' Adam whispered to him.

Matt shrugged lightly and started twiddling his fingers.

'Everywhere, I s'pose'

Adam nodded as if he knew. He kind of did know what sort of things he would have seen. Matt was a teenager, a dead one. Just like he had been all those years ago when he died. Things happen when you die. Humans always talk about there being an afterlife, a door opens and it's like you get another shot at living. But that depends. He supposed it was partly true. There are rules, complications if you will. Matt was murdered and unfinished business meant he stayed on this side of his door. Adam was murdered too, but he was undead. A vampire, a monster of the shadows. This meant he could see new things, he had more knowledge of people. A nightmare he couldn't wake up from. And he had this constant, nagging thought in the back of his head. What If there was other people? He knew about werewolves. He knew about vampires, and ghosts, and phycics. There could be things that are so hidden, that even people like Adam didn't know about them. Maybe they were too dangerous. The sort of people who would have to be in strict confinement to stop any damage. This thought was resurrected by the rumour that these people did exist. Somehow Adam had a gut feeling that Matt had found them.

'Why…why did you come back?'

Their eyes locked. Adam could see that Matt was tired and upset.

'I missed you guys. And there is stuff we need to discuss, mate'

'Discuss?'

It was Matt's turn to nod now.

'I'm sorry if I'm being forward about this. Are you n Christa, still uh…y'know'

'No' Adam replied coldly. 'We split a while ago. Not long after you left actually'

'oh'

Adam rubbed his forehead and gestured for Matt to take a seat. The sofa heaved with his weight, so Adam took his place opposite him.

'Where is she then?'

'Christa?'

'Yeah'

'She's out. Be she's still here. We live together'

'Isn't that…awkward?'

'Why would it be?' Adam snapped.

Matt recoiled, embarrassed by a mistake that wasn't entirely clear.

'Sorry…I'm not really with it today' Adam said quietly. Matt nodded again and continued to play with his fingers.

'And what about the other two?'

'Oh…Tom and Celia? They still hang around. Yeah…they live nearby'

Matt studied Adam carefully and narrowed his eyes.

'Tell me the truth, Adam'

Adam glared at him, before his features felt too strained. He sighed with exasperation and tapped his foot, pondering what to say next.

'You and Celia?

'yeah'

Matt's eyes clouded over in thought.

'I like her, n' all, but I don't fink she's good for you'

'why not?'

'Adam' Matt said sternly. 'How much 'as she told you about her life?'

Adam reran the conversations with Celia in his head. They had always been the same, more or less. He'd ask her about her past, she would make a joke, but skirt around the subject. The only time he had gotten anything out of her was when she said she used to be happy and chatty. He had also decided not to ask about her father. Adam's mind was still trying to comprehend the note from last year, who the man was. That note was what brought them out of Wales. The subject was looming in the distance, just hanging there, waiting to be discussed. But what he was scared of, is that he would scare his friends off. On the other hand, if he left it too late, they could all be dead.

Adam shrugged nonchalantly and laid back into the sofa. Then something snapped inside of Matt. His fists clenched until they turned white and his eyes practically turned black. Almost as black as Adam in action.

'When were you gunna tell me?' Matt snapped angrily. He was sitting forward so much that it looked like he was about to fall off the sofa. Adam raised his eyebrows in question.

'When were you gunna tell _us, _that World War 3 is starting, and we're the targets?'

A nervous feeling gathered in the pit of Adam's stomach.

'What the hell? Matt, what's this about?'

Matt got off the sofa and moved towards him, probably restraining himself from trying to punch him.

'Got to know some people while I was away from 'ere. They told me some _very interesting _things, mate'

'Who are these people? What did they tell you?'

Matt shrugged then crossed his arms.

'Don't matter, does it? They said that some crazy bastards are gathering a team to annihilate us. Yeah, annihilate. And you knew! Fuck, Adam!'

'What? No! I didn't know anything, I swear!'

'Stop. Lying' Matt growled under his breath. Adam shakily got to his feet to face him.

'I know about the note'

'…what note?'

'_Don't _try and play dumb. When Christa's mum died, a guy gave you a note. That's why we moved here right?'

'No'

'STOP IT! You know how I know? Because whoever gave you that note, told _me.'_

That was it. Adam was dumbfounded, gobsmacked. He had been caught.

'Gape all you want mate, but that's not gunna fix what you did' He jabbed a finger towards Adam and clenched his jaw.

'So c'mon then, what are you gunna do now? Run? Wait, we've already run haven't we?'

'Matt, give me some credit! I didn't know what to do, alright? Christa was screwed up about her mum, I barely even knew Celia and I was expected to just to carry this burden around? What would you have done?'

'I would've started by telling the truth'

Adam ran his fingers through his hair. It's what he does when he is stressed. Or insanely bored.

'I…don't know what to do, Matt. World war three? Really?'

He nodded in response and sat back down.

'They want to kill us'

'Who would want to kill us?'

'What do you think?'

Shit. Adam's eyes blurred with fury.

'Wyndham'


	5. Waiting takes its toll

_**It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well have not lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.**_ **– JK Rowling**

* * *

><p>'I can't believe this' Adam was biting his lip so hard that it began to ache. Matt, who was looking slightly peaky even though he was dead, began to twiddle his thumbs again.<p>

'So, what now?' Asked Matt.

'What now…' Adam repeated quietly. His mind was swirling in no particular direction, his thoughts becoming even more clouded and distant the harder he tried to think straight. Then it hit him.

'We're already dead, right?'

'Well done' Matt replied in a sarcastic tone. 'Is this statement goin' anywhere particular?'

'Matt, you don't get it! I'm dead. You're dead. Celia's dead. And-'

'Christa's not'

Adam sighed in a 'you-know-what-this-means' kind of way.

'I can't tell her. I can't'

'Adam' Matt growled angrily. 'If you don't tell her, I will!'

'Take her somewhere else. Away from me, as far away as possible! I don't care, take her to Australia, or something…'

'You think that's really going to help? Telling her to bugger off?'

'Look at what happened last time!'

'Wasting time by moaning ISN'T HELPING' Matt started to raise his voice, eyes ablaze with anger.

'I'm trying to find a way around this' Adam replied quietly, 'I don't want to lose anyone'

'Fair enough' Matt said, folding his arms once more. 'But you 'ave to talk to Christa. I'm guessing you've already told Celia about the letter?'

Adam stared at Matt, still biting his lip.

'Bloody hell, you've really dug a hole, 'aven't ya?'

'I'll sort it out' Adam said.

'Matt?'

Adam and Matt looked up to the doorway where Christa was standing. Her mouth was half open like she was about to say something, but forced herself to remain quiet. Her eyes lingered upon Matt, until they shifted to Adam as she closed the door behind her.

'What's going on? What… Adam, what do you need to sort out?'

Adam and Matt glanced at each other and Matt nodded.

'Christa…can I have a word with you?' Adam attempted a smile, but failed miserably as his face remained unmoved.

She hesitated a while before responding with a shrug of her shoulders. Adam gestured for Christa to take a seat on the sofa whilst Matt sat on the arm, looking agitated. Adam cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his tousled hair once again.

'Someone's coming...'

* * *

><p>He finished explaining about the letter, about Celia, why Matt had come back and what was happening next. The whole time he was speaking, Christa remained silent, glaring at him with wide eyes. He waited for her to lash out once he had finished, fully expecting her to try and knock his teeth out. But she sat there, brow furrowed and a confused expression set on her face.<p>

'You should've told me' She said in a quiet voice.

'I know' Adam muttered, ashamed. 'I just thought, maybe it would go away. We're away from all that now, they can't find us'

'And you were wrong' She replied, now looking in his eyes. 'They're coming to kill us?'

Adam nodded.

'But…you're already dead'

Adam nodded again.

'Then why would they want to kill _you?' _

'Well…I resisted against one of the most powerful vampires in history. You get the gist of it'

'This man that Matt talked to…you saw him too? That's why we came here? Because of World War Three? World War…that means he's recruiting people from-'

'All over the world, yeah' Adam interrupted, starting to get impatient. 'Look. I'm gunna call Celia. As soon as she gets here, we're leaving. I don't know where, but if we are constantly moving it will be harder for them to find us'

'No'

'What?'

'No' Christa repeated, shaking her head. 'I don't want a life of running, Adam! If they want to kill us, let them! I don't care anymore! Don't you get it? I've lost everything! I'm staying here. I would rather die than live like that'

'You don't know what you're saying, Christa, please don't-'

Before he finished his sentence, he felt his body be thrown against the wall with such force it winded him. Darkness started filling the air, making it hard to breathe. The smell of burning filled his nostrils as pieces of brick flew against him, piercing his clothes. He fell to the floor with a loud crash, the feeling of pressure on his head as debris from the ceiling fell on top of him. His eyes darted around the room, searching for Christa and Matt. Seconds felt like hours as he lay under the heavy chunks of rock, helpless. He heard groaning escape his lips as he tried to move under the weight but failed. Adam drifted in and out of consciousness for a while, thinking that he must be dreaming the distant laughing and screaming. Suddenly he felt different, weightless, but the area surrounding him was still dark. That was the moment that Adam Jacobs wondered what it would be like to be die properly. Not to go through pain and suffering, or be 'living' for eternity. He wandered that maybe – just maybe- some people enjoy being relieved from life. Then he slipped away into unconsciousness, praying that when he woke everything would be okay.

* * *

><p>The dark began to turn into light, Adam's surroundings blurred, but slowly beginning to gain focus. His head felt heavy against a cold hard surface, a sticky substance around his forehead. He sat up slowly, glancing at his feet and hands which were bound together. He groaned at the sight of his torn trousers. They were his favourite pair.<p>

He cursed under his breath as he realised he was alone. The room he was in rattled and shook, soon becoming obvious he was in the back of the van. The van that carried so many victims to their deaths, where they would be drunk dry. By _him._

A distant, cheery whistle came from the front seat of the van.

Adam begun to shout out, in hope someone was aware he was awake, but in came out as a whisper and the whistling continued.

He wished there was a manual of How to be a vampire. Because clearly Adam was the worst there could be. He let himself believe that everything okay, he is so _stupid. _

_The worst Vampire ever. _

If only he realised.

Because in fact, Adam Jacobs was one of the best.


	6. The Dog days are over

Adam's father once said;

'Ageing means a loss of a number of skills over time'.

_I'm 47 years old. Bloody hell. _

Adam growled slightly under his breath as the van hit a bump in the road before coming to a grinding halt. He jerked forward, landing flat on his face. The van doors flew open and Adam was grabbed by the t-shirt, gagging as he was thrown against the tarmac.

'_Get up' _a deep voice came, before a heavy boot contacted with his ribs. He flinched and turned his head slightly, scraping his skin on the ground. A short fat man scowled down at him, shaking his head.

'Did ya not 'ear me? I said get _UP'_

The man lifted his boot once more –

'No, please..'

Adam whispered hoarsely.

The man smirked and placed his foot back on the floor. He reached in his back pocket and produced a pocket knife, flicking it open quickly. He sliced through the ropes binding Adam's hands and feet. He stood up slowly, coming to almost the same height as the plump man facing him.

'Where –' Adam cleared his throat to avoid talking in such a high-pitched raspy tone '_Where _are the others?'

'A'right I were getting to tha' bit'

The man grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.

'Christ, 'e said yer was impatient' He whispered, but loud enough for Adam to hear. He blinked in the sunlight, the vast blue skies were definitely startling for this time of year, although a chilling breeze started to pick up. He squinted at the place where he was being led to, it seemed like a farmhouse, only smaller and very run down.

'What is this place?'

The man dug his fingernails into Adam's wrist and laughed at his feeble yelp.

'Where the pigs an' cows used to come mate'

'It's a slaughter house?'

'damn right there' he grunted. 'Only its dogs they're slaughterin' now' the man laughed hysterically.

'…dogs?'

'_Werewolves'_


End file.
